Dough-proving cabinet.



P. H. VAN HOUTEN. DOUGH PROVING CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED APR.7, 1913.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

3 8HEBTSSHBET 1.

v i d d J/ I Slnuawtw WWW l: M2 7 v g i aum F. H. VAN HOUTEN.

DOUGH PROVING CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED APR.7, 1913.

1 115 521 Patented N0v.3, 1914.

lmmwopw F. H. VAN HOUTBN.

DOUGH PROVING CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED APRJ, 1913.

Patented NOV. 3, 1914..

3 SHEE HBET 3.

UNITED A E P TEN orricn.

raanx n. 'vnu'nou'rsn, or nsnxnL-on-rnu-nunson, New Your.

noucn-raovme CABINET.

To all whom it may concern TEN, a citizen .ofthe United States, residing at Fishkill-on-the-Hudson, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dough-Proving Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the followin to be a full clear; and exact description the same, re erence being had to the accompanying'drawmgs,; forming part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference markedv pers ectivc niche of the tunnels through thereon.

This invention relates to dough provingcabinets, objects of the invention being to. provide a structureprima rily composed of a;

' series of units and sections which may be combined to form a proving cabinet of practical-ly any size and capacity to suit the available space in which. it is'to be located, thus avoiding to, a large extent the necessity of designing cabinets for each particular situation.

A further object of the invent-ion is to provide a proving cabinet which is formed by substantially duplicate units and sections reversely arranged with respect to for operating one belt will not'betranslnitted throughthe immediate driving connect ons a sired the cabinet may be as long as is neceseach other at opposite ends of the cabinet, wherebythe cost of production may be reduced and the assembling of the parts simplified both in manufacture and n setting I facturing and assembling the parts the belt A further object of the invention isto; provide a construction in which the carrying up the cabinet for use.

belts will occup a minimum vertical space and permit of t e introduction of a reatei number of belts in a cabinet of given eight, and at the same time insure a proper and uniform driving of the belt, regardless oi their length, j

Another object of the invention is to pro-' vide a proving cabinet in which all of the carrying belts will invariably receives uniform movement both as' to the time and distance of travel,'and with which the power of the other belts.

g ing the present improvements with the in- The invention consists in the construction; and arrangement of th parts to beherein-w after described and "poi ted out part cularly in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanyin' parts in section of a proving cabinet embody- Speciflnation 0:1 Letters Patent. 7 Application filed April 7:, 1918. Serial No.'759,541.

drawwings,---Fi-gmre l is. an end elevation with Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

'. closing casing omitted. Fig. 2 is a side ele- Be it known that I, FRANK VAN Honv-ation with portions broken away and some of the duplicate parts indicated in dotted hues, of the mechanism shownin Fig. 1, w th the exception of the-dough elevating devices. Fig-'3 is a section in a vertical longitudinal plane, the point of view being substantially the same as the point of view in lghgrii. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View in a horizontal plane through the mechas nism at one end of the cabinet, but omitting the dough carrying belt. Fig. 5 is a detail Whic the dough is discharged from one belt o anothe Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

Generally speakin 'a proving cabinet,

constructed in accor ance with the presentdriving and supporting mechanismat each end of the cabinet is formed in separate and substantially duplicate units each embodylng duplicate sections, as many or few of which may be employed as may be necessary to give the desired c-apacitg available vertical space in t e apartment or r om in which the cabinet is located. Inasmuch as the invention is designed for variation 0ft e capacity of the cabinet, either or to fill. the

verticallyor horizon-tally, the units at the" ends of the cabinet are made relatively short and intermediate units are sup lied for supporting the den 11 carrying belts between the endunits, wit the. result that where desary to obtainthe desired capacity or to fill the available space, without regard to the yertical height or number of belts employed.

The several units and sections are connectedand held in their pro er relative positions by bars, eferably 0 angle iron, and referrin to. t e drawings, A, A indi-' cate yertica l y arranged angle iron bars at the corners of each of the end units of the cabinet, and A, A are horizontally arranged angle iron bars connecting-the several units of the cabinet. The angle iron bars in effect form a skeleton framework which may beopposite each'other and each is provided with bearin s c in which the shafts of the belt rollers C" are journale'd. 'lhe bean ings 0 are preferablylocated in the same relative positions-in all of the plates or sections formed by'the plates, whereby the plates may be utilized for either oi' the end units of the cabinet by a sim lefreversal,

and consequently the plates an rollers'may.

be all duplicates andas many or few are employed as found necessary togive the desired capacity or" to fill the available space in which the cabinet is to be located.

7 The spaces between the adj acented es of the plates or sections are reie'rablyutilizedto receive the beari n orrollers Dover! which the carryingbe ts travel; thus, in the preferred arrangement ofb'elts, each belt E at one end ofthe cabinet, say the right hand end in Figs; 2 and 3,) passes around the roller (3, a'ndis guided'ove'r the upper por- 'tion or top of the roller G, the opposite end ide roller of the belt passing around the e'arings' between a jacent sec- D held in' tions at the opposite end of the cabinet. The belts at the latter end of the cabinet 5 maybe similarly; arranged but are refer- 'ably pa'sscd am nd the rollers c an under or 'e ow the rollers C, extending thenceto the "other end portion offthe cabinet and around a'roller 1).

units of the cabinet, and in the preferred The top reaches oi'thebelts ra-0f course,

' the reaches upon which. the dough is conandthese reaches oi veyed backfland forth the belts are preferably supported on shelflike supports extending substantially throughout the portion upon" which .the

dough is deposited and conveyed. ObVlr ou sly', where the cabinet is'a long one, provision must be made for intermediate units more or less in number between the end construction illustrated the intermediate units or sections are composed of vertical side pieces 18 connected at their upper ends with the angle bars A and su porting be tween them jracketior shelf castings F hav' ing at theirupper edges] or corners seats f for'removable shelves f. The opposite ends Each of the end units of the cabinet ein-.

each section are located.

of the shelves f are adapted to rest in simirlar seats either on other intermediate unit supports or on corresponding supports on the end units of the cabinet. As shown in Fig. 3, it will be noted that the end units are provided with relatively long shelf-like supporting portions G having seats corresponding to the seats before referred to, and adjacent to the ro lers D the are provided with'short shelf-supporting members G also having seats corresponding to the seats f. The supports G, G are fastened in position by bolts or rivets passing'through the plates B and, in some instances, through the" angle irons A, but in the preferred construction the bolt or rivet holesin the plates are similarly positioned in all of the plates so as to facilitate duplication and to permit of the parts being assembled on the unit and section system before referred to. The sup ports G- serve to connect the side plates B 1n a more or less rigid manner, and it is Ob? vious that the said supports G may be inverted so as to bring their belt supporting surfaces uppermost when the sections are to be reversed top for bottom and end for end when used at opposite ends of the cabinet.

While any preferred arrangement of belt 4 tightener rollers may be employed and located at any desired point in the length.

of the under reach of the belt, it is preferred that the rollers D. be made adjustable for the purpose of tightenin the belts or maintaining their tension an to accomplish this the said rollers are 'ournaled on shafts d mounted in bearings slidable in the ways formed by the proximate edges of the plates B, and as a convenient means for adjusting and retaining the adjustment ofthe rollers, the ends of the shafts are squared andprovided with pinions d. adapted to mesh in racks d .securedto the side plates B. A pawl d Figs. 2 and 4, will serve to maintain the pinions, shafts and rollers with their hearings in adjusted position, and it is therefore 'a comparatively simple matter to rotate the shafts and pinions by a suitable wrench so as to tighten the belt to the desired degree, and b means of the pawl retain it I at its adjusts tension.

The bearings H above referred to, also serve as a convenient means for supporting the funnel 1 adapted to guide the umps of dough in dropping from the higher to the lower belt-and to center the dough on the lower belt. To sup ort the under reaches of the belts during their return to the rollers C and C the intermediate supports F are provided with cross pieces F over which the belts travel, said cross pieces being preferably fiat onthe under side so as to give all the clearance possible above the next lower belt and are rounded on their up er surface to give a smooth supporting ace over" which the belts may travel without undue friction or wear. The arrangement of,

the supports F and F it will be noted, retains the rea hes of the belt close together and leaves the largest possible ace in the passageways through which the ough travels on the belts, thusconserving to a material degree the vertical, space required for the installation.

For driving the belts, a drive shaft K is journaled, in suitable bearings in proximity to one side of the cabinet and receives its power through fast and loose pulleys It which may be located at any point in-the length of the shaft. The shaft usually extends from end. to en Of the cabinet, but, of course,-this is a mere matter of. mechanical detail and. serves through beveled gears L to. rotate the lower rollers C. The shafts of the rollers C," which are rotated directly from the shaft K, are provided with gear wheels L meshing with gear wheels L on the shafts of the adjacent rollers C, the gears being roportioned to impart to the rollers C an the same peripheral speed; The shafts of all of the rollers G and C at their opposite ends from the shaft 'K are provided with gear wheels M and 'M', respectively, spaced awa from each other, but the gear wheels oft is several sections at each end of the cabinet are located in vertical alinement, and power is transmitted from one section to the other by means of a fiexiblerack M. As. shown particularlyin Fig. 2 the flexible rack travels between and at its upper end travels loosely over a smooth sheave or pulley N having suitable end flanges for guiding therack. At its lower end. thefiexible rack forms a pendent loop, and the whole arrangement is such that by the rotation of the shafts of the lowermost rollers O and C, the power is transmitted through the flexible rack directly to each of the other pairs of rollers C and, C at, that end of the cabinet, where- Q by resistance to the travel of any one belt does not. increase the strain on the driving gears of another belt, and-the gears may be made relatively light and adapted simply lfor driving a single belt. It. is found that this arrangement requires the expenditure of very much less power than is required-for operating a series of belts where a train of gearing is employed.

"Obviously, the dough may be deposited on the topmost belt by any suitable means, but

in'Fig. 1 a tried and perfected means 'is illustrated. Referring to this figure. it will is located fadough elevator which consists essentially of a belt 0. mounted in inclined position and traveling on to and bottom pulleys or rollers 0. Asecond elt'Pextends partly around the lower roller or pulley o, thence upwardly over a rolleror pulley p,

thence downwardly in a long loose loop to a pulley 3),, located in front of the lower roller o. Immediately behind the upwardly traveling reach oi the belt P there is mounted a supportin incline Q, for partially supporting the weight of dough which is being carried up between the belt. The pulley p islocated over the cabinet and the dought is adapted to be discharged through a funnel or guide R from the belt as the latter passes around the pulley p. Motion is imparted to the elevator bolts referably by a chain S driven from the sliait K and traveling around sprocket wheels on the shafts of the rollers 39, p ing driven'by gear wheels rom the shaft of the roller p.

and f, the u per roller o be In operation, lumps of dough from the dividing machine or .irom any suitable source are deposited on the belt P between the rollers p ando and are carried rear-. wardly until gripped between the belts, thence upwardly while still held between the belts, and at the upper end of the elevator they are carried rearwardly and dropped into the proving cabinet at a suitable oint on the topmost belt. The lumps of ough are carried by the top belt to the farther end, dropped to the next lower belt and so on down through the cabinet itself, being finally discharged throu h any suitable opening or onto any suitable conveyer ready for further manipulation or baking. and. meshes with the gear wheels M and M I With the construction described it will be noted that thecabinet is built up of units and sections, both longitudinally and vertically and it becomes possible to var the dimensions in either direction by simp y increasing or decreasing the number of'sections or units employed. The end portions or units of the cabinet are both formed or similar sections reversed in their relation to each other, or turned end for end, and the construction is such that no additional other pieces are required, save narrow'side pieces T located at the top and bottom of one or the other end portion of the cabinet to fill the narrow spaceswhich would otherwise be left at the top at one end and at the bottom at the other end when the sections are so disposed that the dough carrying reaches of one belt extend in a plane which is substantially intermediate the sections at the opposite end of the cabinet as, for example, in passing around rollers D which are located between the sections, as before described. be noted that at one side of the cabinet there Having thus describedmy invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Pa-tent of the United States, is

1. A dough proving cabinetembodvi'n duplicate reversely arranged end units wi v a vertically arranged series ofjhorizontal .carrying belts extending between said end ortions, each of said end portions bein ormed by a vertical series of individua duplicate sectionseach embodying a pai yof, Sid; plates, belt guiding and driving rollers,

cabinet may be varied in accordance with the number of units employed, the end units of the cabinet being reversely arranged with relation to each other and both formed of individual duplicate sections mounted one above the other and each section embodying a pair of side plates with belt guiding and driving rollers journaled in said plates, and belts extending from one end unit to the other.

3. A dough proving cabinet formed of end and intermediate units, the end units embed ing a series of duplicate sections arrange one above the other, each having dough carryin belt guiding and driving rollers mounte thereinpand the intermediate units embodying a corresponding vertical series of belt guides and supports with removable shelves forming belt supports between the end and intermediate units. I

4. A dough proving cabinet embodying reversely arranged end units each formed by a vertical series of individual duplicate sections spaced a art vertically and having carrying belt guiding and driving rollers journaled therein, belt guiding rollers adjustably mounted in the spaces between the sections, whereby the tension on the belts may be regulated, and dough carrying belts passing around said rollers and arranged in vertical series to discharge the dough from one to the other.

5. A dough proving cabinet embodyin I reversely arranged end units, each forme by a series of individual duplicate sections arranged one above the other vertically and separated one from the other, belt guiding anddriving' rollers journaled in each section, adjustable belt ti htener rollers, bearings in which the tlghtener rollers are mounted, located between and adjustably guided by the proximate edges of the sections,- and dough conveying belts passing around said rollers and arranged in vertical series to discharge the dough from one to the other.

6. A dough proving cabinet embodying end and intermediate units, the end units bein reversely arran ed and formed by a vertical series of ind vidual-duplicate sections with the sectionsin one end unit reversed with relation to the sections in the other end unit, said sections in each unit being arranged in vertical series and each embodying belt guiding and driving rollers and dough conveying elts extending from the guiding and driving pulleys in one end means for holding sai adjusted position for maintaining the tension on the belts.

unit to the opposite end unit, said belts be ing arranged in vertical series to discharge the dough from one to the other,

7. In a dough proving cabinet, the combination with vertically arranged corner bars, of a series of sections arranged one above the other on said corner bars and each embodying a pair of separate side plates rigidly connected with the corner bars, dough conveying belt guiding and driving rollers journaled in bearings on said plates,

and dough guiding rollers journaled in bearings mounted between the edges of adjacent plates of the sections.

8. In a dough proving cabinet, the com: bination with the vertical supporting bars, of a series ofplates secured at their ends to said sup orting bars in parallel lanes with their e ges spaced apart, shait bearings mounted on said plates, belt iding and drivin rollers mounted on sha-ts journaled in sai bearings, and belt guiding rollers journaled in bearings mounted between the proximate edges of the plates, of dough carrying belts passing around said guiding and driving rollers and arranged in vertical series to discharge one onto the other, and drive gearing for said driving rollers, substantially as described.

9. In a dough provin cabinet, the combination of end units eac embodying vertically arranged supporting bars and horizontally extending side plates arranged in separate pairs forming duplicate sections one above the other and reversed with relation to each other in the respective units, each pair of side plates being rovided with horizontal shaft bearings, be tguiding and driving rollers mounted on shafts journaled in said bearings, adjustable belt guiding rollers journaled in bearings supported between the adjacent edges of (proximate plates, and

adjustable rollers in 10. In a dough proving cabinet, the .combination of end units formed of du licate but reversely arranged sections spaced apart vertically,- each section embodying belt guiding and driving rollers for one end of the dough carrying belt, belt guidin rollers mounted between the sections of t e o posite unit for the opposite end of said elt, belt supports intermediate the end units, and

belt supporting shelves between the end units and intermediate supports.

11. In a dough proving cabinet, the combination with end units each formed by a vertical series of duplicate sections each section having belt driving and guiding rollers and a belt support having a shelf seat there on, guiding rollers mounted in bearings intermediate the sections of each unit for the discharge end of the belts driven from the opposite end unit, and intermediate shelves mounted on said seats for supporting the reaches of the belts intermediate carry g the units.

bodying side pieces and horizontallyar- 10 rangedbelt supports and belt supporting shelves bridging the s aces between the intermediate and end be t supports.

4 FRANK H VAN HOUTEN. Witnesses: I

CLAUDE VAN fiOSTRAN, Wnmm T. Smrrrnu 

